Could This Invention Prevent Kids From Dying in Hot Cars?

byKaitlin StanfordMar 19, 2014

They're some of the most tragic stories we hear in the news, and yet they sadly happen far too often. A mom runs into the store—she later says she thought she'd only be a few minutes—and leaves her kids sleeping or playing inside the car. Sometimes, we hear the parent forgot their child was in the car altogether.

However, it happens—a disturbing 38 children die each year after being left in hot cars, unattended and without fresh air. And that needs to stop.

Automotive designer Dennis Aneiros thinks he can make that happen, with an invention he claims every car should have, just like other high-tech features that have now become the norm. It's called the ANEIROS Vehicle Car Seat System, and it detects a baby's presence in the car seat so it can alert mom or dad—by flashing the car's lights and sounding the alarm—if they start walking away without their kid. And if mom or dad have traveled too far from the car to notice? The air conditioner is started up to keep the car cool.

Watch it in action:

While this all seems pretty amazing, Aneiros' dream of marketing it can't become a reality until more money is raised, since right now it's in the prototype phase. So he's started an Indiegogo page to drum up support and gather more funds. Want to see this invention in cars soon? Donate here.